Air-intake.



S. C. CROCKETT.-

AIR INTAKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1914.

1,21 2,745. Patented Jail. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: IN I/E IV TOR Q ggavnwl (1 61 013 21? %%%a MZ4 By UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL CLARK CROCKETT, 0F BOZEMAN, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED LEATHERS, OF HOWARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-IN TAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed May 20, 1914. Serial No. 839,848.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. CnooKn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bozeman, in the county of Ga-llatin and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Intakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention applies to motors operable by means of explosive mixtures of gas or oils and air, and the main object thereof is to provide means for automatically controlling the degree of air supplied in such mixtures in the ratio of the speed of the engine or motor.

A further object is to arrange such control means in the intake manifold of a mo-- tor, between the carburetor and the motor cylinders, whereby the carbureter adjustment is not interfered with, such carbureter adjustment by the average motor-car owner being usually disastrous as to results.

A further object is to connect such control means with the crank-shaft of the motor, either directly or indirectly, whereby the motor is its own regulator as to the mixture admitted to the cylinders, and whereby the motor-car owner is not called upon to exercise any judgment or doubtful skill in the changing of the mixture in the ratio of the motor demand.

A further object is to provide such control means which may be quickly and readily installed on a motor, without material alteration of the conventional elements of said motor, thus making my device applicable to all makes of motors, my invention being of special value on automobiles employed at high altitudes.

I have found by several years experience repairing automobiles that none of the carbureters now on the market will handle the air at high altitudes of 5000 feet or over, and I have also found that none of the mechanical adaptors or air regulators will work successfully at all speeds of the motor, and I have, therefore, reached the conclusion that the air supply must be under the control of the motor, which conclusion has been supported by actual use for a considerable period of time.

With the carbureters now on the market, the only way to get maximum speed from a motor is to reduce the size of the spray needle or put a pet-cock or two in the manifold, in the former very good results being obtained at the lower speeds but not at the higher speeds, whereas the latter method produces good results at the higher speeds but the motor will not idle but, with my device, the motor supplies itself with the desired degree of air in the mixture in the ratio of the speed thereof.

My invention is fully set forth in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views,

and in which I Figure 1 is a perspective, fragmentary, view of a motor provided with my invention, and showing one form of actuation thereof; Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, section taken through the intake manifold, and showing a valve which I employ; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the motor, showing my invention in a state of rest, and indicating the alternate position thereof in dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a detail, perspective, fragmentary, enlarged, view of a stop which I may employ; and Fig. 6 is a modification over the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive I have shown a present preferred form of my invention, said figures illustrating two cylinders a of a motor, having the usual intake tubes a connected with the manifold a in turn connected with a carbureter a, the crank-shaft being indicated in dotted lines at a having a fly-wheel a and being geared with the fan a by means of a belt a passed around suitable pulleys, these parts being all of conventional or other desired form.

In the manifold a I mount a valve I) which may be two flanged, as shown, and being adapted to cover an inlet port 12 in the manifold, this being preferably screened as shown in Fig. 1 to exclude foreign matter, and said valve is carried by a shaft 6 having a bell-crank b at one end thereof, a rod 6 being linked to said bell-crank.

Pivotally mounted in a suitable frame 0, to the rear of the fan a is a dependent vane c which is adapted for adjustable connection with the rod 1) by means of a plurality of holes 0 and the said vane is provided with a counter-weight, in this form, to return the vane to vertical position after having been moved thereoutof, a suitable stop 0 being also provided for said vane, said weight being shown at 0".

The speed of the fan revolution is controlled by the speed of crank-shaft rotation, as will be obvious, and, when said fan is revolved at sufficient speed, the air therefrom is directed against the vane 0 and which is moved out of vertical position, this movement actuating the bell-crank 6, through the medium of the rod 6 and the valve Z) is moved out of its normal position of port closure, thus admitting a degree of air in the proportion of valve opening and vane movement, thus automatically changing the mixture of gas and air passing from the carbureter, through the manifold, to the several cylinders, and it will be seen that the degree of additional air admitted is in the ratio of crank-shaft speed of rotation and, thus, of the motor and automobile on which my device is mounted.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modification over the form described in that the vane is returned to normal position by means of a coil spring 03, in Fig. 5, and, in Fig. 6, the bell-crank is connected, by means of the rod 6 with a bell crank d in turn connected with a governor (i geared, by means of bevel-gears d and d shaft 0Z pulleys (Z and d, and belt d, with the shaft of the fan a, this being a purely mechanical valve actuation, whereas, in the form previously described, the valve actuation is by means of the force of the air driven by the fan, but I do not limit myself to any specific connection of the valve with any specific part of the motor, although I will probably connect the valve, directly or indirectly, with the crank-shaft of the motor. V

Air supply to the mixture is almost invariably through the carbureter, and the control means are usually fixed although adjustable, the gas being under the control of the motor driver by means of the throttle, the air supply, therefore, being constant regardless of the speed of the motor and, further, by means of my device, I can adjust the air supply to any make of carbureter, or any fixed setting thereof, by means of the holes 0 in the vane, after which the air supply is automatically controlled by the speed of the motor, experience with my invention having demonstrated that the motor will speed up sometimes to double or treble the speed, thus proving that the air control in the manifold is better than the adjustment in the carbureter.

My invention therefore consists of automatic means, under the control of the motor, for impoverishing or enriching the mixture admitted to the cylinders, and, with a reservation to myself of all modifications of the forms shown and described as may come within the scope of the following claims,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a gas or oil engine provided with a plurality of cylinders, a manifold intake, a carburetor, a crankshaft, and a fan actuated thereby; of auxiliary air supply means to said cylinders, and means actuated by said fan to control said auxiliary air supply.

2. The combination with a gas or oil engine provided with a plurality of cylinders, a manifold intake, a carbureter, a crankshaft, and a fan actuated thereby; of a valve in said manifold, said manifold having a port adapted to be closed by said valve, means actuated by said fan to control said auxiliary air supply, and means for returning said valve to normal position after having been moved therefrom.

3. The combination with a gas or oil engine provided with a plurality of cylinders, a manifold intake, a carbureter, a crankshaft, and a fan actuated thereby; of a valve in said manifold, said manifold having a port adapted to be closed by said valve, and a pivotally mounted vane in operative connection with said valve and in the path of the air forced through said fan whereby said vane is moved to control said auxiliary air supply.

4. The combination with a gas or oil engine provided with a plurality of cylinders, a manifold intake, a carbureter, a crankshaft, and a fan actuated thereby; of a valve in said intake, said manifold having a port adapted to be closed by said valve, a pivotally mounted vane in operative connection with said valve and in the path of the air forced through said fan, whereby said vane is moved to control said valve and the auxiliary air supply, and means for adjusting said vane.

5. In an internal combustion engine having an air circulating fan, the combination of an intake manifold for supplying combustible mixture to the engine, of means for regulating the ingredients of the mixture, said means including a valve, a vane pivotally mounted and which is adapted to be actuated by air currents produced by said fan, and operative connections between said "alve and said vane.

6. The combination with the manifoldof an engine having an air intake opening, of a valve therefor, comprising a movablememher, and means operatively connected with said member and actuated by air currents, to move the valve and thereby regulate the admission of air to said manifold.

7. An attachment adapted to be applied to engines having an air inlet opening and a cooling fan, said attachment comprising a movable closure for said opening, and means actuated by the direct air currents from the fan for operating said closure to regulate the supply of air through said open- 8. An attachment for the intake manifold of engines and the like having an air inlet opening, comprising a valve to regulate said opening, and a movable vane adapted to be actuated by air currents, said vane being operatively associated with said valve for moving the same.

9. An attachment for engine manifolds or the like having an air opening, comprising a valve to regulate said opening, and a actuated by alr currents, said vane being operatively associated with said valve for moving the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy invention, I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL CLARK CROCKETT.

Witnesses:

NmsoN S'rnoxc, Jr., J. R. Commas. 

